The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-08-11
Not the First Steam-Wagon.

1.-THE rich can ride in chaises," and
they can ride in a steam wagon, too,
if they will come to Lewiston and es-
say what the teeming brain of a re-
markable Lewiston inventor has at
tanned" says the Journal of that city.
In the first place, it is a wagon. 1t is
built on the principle of a grocery
wagon. Some of the extra heavy gro
Gerry teams on the street might have
served for the basis of the contri-
vance, except that the inventor, Ed
win +. Field, desired that it be extra
strong, and so he had the wheels and
axles and croSs-bars, ETC., built trihe
heavier than on the ordinary grocery
wagon. Its shape is the same. Its
wheels are the same III size and shape.
Its wagon body is exactly the same as
that of the ordinary delivery wagon,
with iron bands. The boiler, which
is upright, sits on the rear axle. Pow
er is applied by cogged wheels to the
rear axle, to which the hind wheels
are rigidly affixed. so that the move
ment of the machinery propels the
wagon. The front wheels are indie
pendent of machinery, and are simply
steering gear. The engine is double
cylinder eondensing engine, controlled
by the link motion, exactly as in the
locomotive.
1t can be reversed or stopped from
the drivers seat. Water is carried in
a small tank under the wagon-bed. The
engine exhausts into the boiler-the
exhaust being easily controlled from
the drivers seat. The boiler is five
horse power. tested to 400 pounds
pressure, and capable OF carving 800
pounds without the slightest difficulty.
The engines develop four horse power
with 100 pounds pressure, or twelve
horse power with 800 pounds.
With hard coal the boiler viii make
no smoke or steam. The design of the
builders is to conceal everything, and
they expect when finished, that the
contrivance will not be very odd in
appearance, and that it Will not fright
en- horses any more than a bicycle or
street-sprinkler. Every portion of the
machinery is made with the view to
strength. Various inventions on the
boiler make it specially valuable, while
every part OF the engine has been de-
signed and built expressly for the pur-
pose, and is full of oddities and inven-
tiOns. The aXlcs are steel and the
wheels iron dubbed. The hind wheels
are three feet in diameter The water
tank holds half a barrel and would
suffice for a run of twenty-five miles.
''Haye you ever run it?' was asked
of Mr.. Field.
Yes, was the reply. 1--WE have
worked the engines and the wheels,
but haven tried it on the ground vet
1t was great success. The hind
wheels went in perfect buzz. We
estimated it at eight hundred revolu-
tions a minute; and as the CARR oo
will advance about ten feet at = 80
luton, we reckon thab. maxine 5ra al
lowance, the wagon would have been
going considerably faster than a two
minute clip, / don't practically see
any limit to the attainment of speed
except the courage of the driver"
MI. Field mas about completed the
machine. A description does no sort
OF credit, and the public should see it
to appreciate it. There is no sort of
doubt but that the machine will Uo.
and that 1t can be steered and con-
trolled. From the wayside brook the
tank can be filled, and from the coal
locker the fires of the boiler. Mr..
Field thinks that the machine can 90
mile minute. He will have the
hind wheels drilled and corrugated for
teeth, provided there is not friction
enough; but he says that he has no
fear about the friction.